Sami Angawi is a renowned Saudi Arabian architect born in 1948 in Mecca. He received his education in the United States and United Kingdom. Angawi has dedicated his career to preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of Mecca and Medina. He established organizations like the Hajj Research Center and Ammar Center for Architectural Heritage. Angawi's architectural style aims to balance Western and Islamic influences to promote cultural understanding. His own home, Al Makkiyah mansion, exemplifies this balance. Angawi continues to advocate for cross-cultural learning through his proposed Al Makkiyah/Al Mediniyah Institute.

1. 1948
Supervised by : Arch. Dania Abdelaziz

2. Biography:
Name: Sami Mushin Angawi
Birth: 1948, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Family: Married first wife; five children; second wife, Fatina Anin
Shakir
Nationality: Saudi Arabian
Education: B.A. (architecture), University of Arlington, TX, 1971;
M.A. (architecture), University of Texas, 1975; Ph.D. (Islamic
architecture), School of Oriental and African Studies, University of
London, 1988
He has dedicated his life to preserving the history and architecture of
Islam’s holy cities of Mecca and Medina; encouraging dialogue about
Islam and cross-cultural collaboration and understanding between
institutions and universities worldwide.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:
1975: Establishes Hajj Research Center at King Abd al-Aziz University
in Jeddah
1988: Founded Ammar Center for Architectural Heritage in Jeddah
1994: Fellow at Harvard University

3. • Angawi's architectural designs assert the importance of his Hijazi heritage with the common cultural heritage
shared by both western and Islamic societies; believing that a “clash of civilizations” leads to friendship, trust and
peace.
• Angawi developed the concept of balance, which is the essence of Islamic tradition and of many of the world’s
religious beliefs. The aspiration of Angawi to reflect this historic principle in his life and work is important. It has
made him a leader in building bridges between the Middle East and the rest of the world. “More balance can be
achieved through respect for the past,” Angawi says. “In our Al Makkiyah mansion, modernity and tradition,
privacy and openness, stability and dynamism are equally represented to generate harmony.”
Career :
His work :
Al Makkiyah/Al Mediniyah Institute
Dr. Sami Angawi is now gathering an international board of intellectuals, activists and businessmen to create his legacy–an
international institute offering degrees in Islamic history and science, the Al Makkiyah / Al Mediniyah Institute will provide
courses in Islamic history, architecture and science.
The institute at Al Makkiyah will house Angawi’s more than 100 thousand photographs, drawings and writings about Islam and
the two holy cities Mecca and Medina. The school will be a collaborative educational experience, providing American,
Canadian and European students the opportunity to research Islam on location in the Hijaz–right where the faith has advanced
over the past 1400 years

4. Architectural Style :
• Angawi's architectural designs assert the
importance of his Hijazi heritage with the
common cultural heritage shared by both
western and Islamic societies; believing that a
“clash of civilizations” leads to friendship,
trust and peace.
• Angawi developed the concept of balance,
which is the essence of Islamic tradition and
of many of the world’s religious beliefs. The
aspiration of Angawi to reflect this historic
principle in his life and work is important. It
has made him a leader in building bridges
between the Middle East and the rest of the
world. “More balance can be achieved through
respect for the past,” Angawi says. “In our Al
Makkiyah mansion, modernity and tradition,
privacy and openness, stability and dynamism
are equally represented to generate harmony.”

5. Al-Makiyya, Angawi House :
• Angawi House is the current residence of famed local Jeddah architect Dr. Sami
Angawi. It is a study of western Saudi Arabia's traditional Hijazi architecture.
• The variety of materials utilized in the construction and finishing of the home is
astonishing. Angawi is a master at combining materials, textures, and
shapes. Many of the home's objects are quite old, such as a 300 year old carved
door at the entrance.
• The variety of materials utilized in the construction and finishing of the home is
astonishing. Angawi is a master at combining materials, textures, and
shapes. Many of the home's objects are quite old, such as a 300 year old carved
door at the entrance.

6. Al-Makiyya, Angawi House :
• The heart of the home is a beautifully aqua blue tiled indoor swimming
pool, the bottom of which is a mosaic tile pattern that looks like a Persian
carpet. This inner courtyard is surrounded by rich carved wood on
multiple levels and hanging plants.
• Angawi designed the house to fully take advantage of the prevailing winds
in Jeddah, which naturally flow from the north and the west, to keep the
air stream circulating throughout the entire house much of the year. This
cuts down on the need for air conditioning in this hot climate.
• Angawi graciously opens his amazing home to visitors mainly arranged
through special group tours.

7. • The Angawi house is a cultural haven in Jeddah where his family and friends regularly host lectures, concerts and
timely discussions, often on a weekly basis.
• The design of this residence combines modern construction techniques with traditional crafts such as Turkish mosaic
and Moroccan zillij. Red Sea coral reef stone, desert sandstone, marbles and granite are utilized throughout the
exterior and interior.
• Old-style natural ventilation techniques minimize the need for air-conditioning even at the peak of hot Arabian
summers. A computerized drip-watering system feeds thousands of hanging plants that are an integral feature of both
the central internal courtyard and the exterior ground and roof gardens.
• The Islamic principle of sitr (ensuring privacy for neighbors as well as inhabitants of the house) is accomplished by
using traditional rawasheen bay windows and intricate hand-carved Hijazi woodwork over the openings.
Al-Makiyya, Angawi House :

9. The design for the International Medical Center, located in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, combines traditional Islamic forms with
architecture that accommodates state-of-the-art medical
technology.
The site design responds both to the architectural forms and to
land use functional requirements. The design enhances and
beautifies the healing environment, while fulfilling other important
environmental, cultural, and aesthetic goals. These include
sustainability of materials, conservation, plant procurement, and
microclimate enhancement. The International Medical Center
furthers the pursuit for medical excellence and has become a
prominent new addition to the city. As project landscape
architects, CRJA-IBI Group studied the entry plaza, large interior
courtyard, and extensive roof terraces. Each has been designed
to respond to microclimates and offer comfort, beauty, and
therapeutic benefits. Select gardens feature medicinal plants for
educational purposes. The site design features seven fountains,
each of which provides soothing sounds and views.

11. The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center is a mosque,
elementary school, community center, and exhibition space. It also
serves as a funeral home with modern facilities for washing the dead
in accordance with Islamic law.
The Center was designed to simultaneously assimilate into and stand out from
the architectural landscape in the immediate vicinity. The red brick of the
facade is deliberately consistent with the Roxbury Community College campus,
arches do catch the eye and they also train the gaze upward to a dome and
minaret that rise elegantly, high above anything else in the vicinity

15. References:
("Angawi, Sami (1948–) - Dictionary definition of Angawi, Sami (1948–) | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online
dictionary", 2018)
"(‫العنقاوي‬ ‫سامي‬:‫والفلسفة‬ ‫البيئة‬ ‫ابنة‬ ‫العمارة‬",2018)
(Shropshire & Shropshire, 2018)
("Angawi, Sami (1948–) February 16, 2013- Dictionary definition of Angawi, Sami (1948–) |
susiesbigadventure. Jun/11/2018)
Wikipedia–May 19 (2005). The Journey Of My Life - Wikipedia 11/jun/2018